Wire splicer



Q March 1, 1932. v. e. WILKINS WIRE SPLICER Filed Jan. 26, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Inventor By Attorney Patented Mar. 1, 1.932

. UNITED sraras vARnAMAN e. wILKINs; or srrvmterri IOWA: a

wine srLIcER Application filed January 26, 1931.' Serial- 110; 511344. I Y

tion of the shaft extending, through the This invention relates to a wire splicer and itsprimary object is to' facilitate the repairing of broken line wires of fences.

' A still further object of the invention is to 5 provide a device of this nature to which the en-ds'of the broken wire may be secured and retained in overlapping relation'in such a manner that the overlapping endsot the wire may be twisted together for securing said ends together. 7 I

' stillfurth-er object of the invention-is to provide a-device of this character which is simple in construction, comprises compara- 'tively few parts, is thoroughly rehable, prac-- tical and efficient in operation and otherwise well adapted for the purpose designed;

1 "Other objects-and advantages of the in 'vention will become apparent during a study of thefollowing description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

- Figure 1 is a side elevational view-of my improved wire splicer, the same being shown associated with the end of-the broken line w1re 1 Figure 2 is an edge elevation'thereofg' Figure 3 is a detail view partly in section and partly in elevation taken substantially on the line 33 of F igurel; V

Figure 4 is a view similar toFigure 1 and showing the manner of twisting'of the wire when using the wire splicer,

Figure 5 is a detail sectional elevational View similar to Figure 3, the jaws of the clamp being close-d, a Y Figure 6 is a plan view of a twisting tool;

With reference more in detail to the drawings, it will be seen that my improved wire splicer comprises an elongated rectangular plate 5formed of metal or any other suitable material which will beglight yet strong and durable The plate 5 at one'end thereof "is provided with an'elon'gated notch 6 opening inwardly from one end of the plate. Journalled in said end of the body plate 5 is a rotatable shaft 7 ,Qwhich shaft extends transversely of the notch .6.

At'oneend, the shaft 7 terminates in a suitable crank arm or handle 8. To that por- "engaging tion 14 extending-"laterally from the said ture of the shank and jaw 15.

notch 6 and operable-withinthe notch ,6 :is a

ratchet wheel -9. A dog 10' has one endithereof pivotallyamounted-between spaced ears :11 as at 12 which ears 11-11 from one side of the plate 5.

- The tree endof the doglOis adapted to engagefthe teeth; of the ratchet Wheel 9 .for

lockingthe shaft 7 against rotative movement ing from the same side of the plate as the extended end of the shaft 7 area pair of wire clamps'each designated generally by the reference character C; 1

*These wire engaging clamps-as illustrated are identical iniconstruction, each of the clamps comprising a cylindrical shankiporone. longitudinal edge of the plate 5, said shank portion 14 terminating in a substantially C shaped jaw 15.-{The jaw 15 constitutes thestationary j aw of theclamps. 1 T A similarlyshaped jaw" 16 cooperates'with the'jaw 15 to provide a retainingloop therebetween; and this jaw 16 at one end thereof is pivoted as at 17 to the shank 14 at the junc- For yieldably retaining the cooperative.

- jaws 15 and 16 in closed position, that is in a f loop forming position there is provided a Washer or annulus-18 slidable on'theshan'k 14, and a coil "spring 1'9"is"oonvoluted about said shank, one end of the coil spring bearing against the adj acentedge portion of the 1 0 plate 5, and the other end ofsaidcoil spring implnging against the washer 18 for urging the washer 1 8 upwardly to j engage with the pivoted end portion of movable jaw 16"fo'r urging said'movable j aw into loop forming position with the stationary jaw 15 shown to advantage in Figure'l."

In actual practice, the jaws of the clamps (3-0 are in normally closedor loop forming position and one end a of the broken line wire project laterally of the fence is trained through the loops so formed of each of the clamps and the free end portion of the wire end a is then twisted or wrapped about the headed lug 14 on the post 13.

The opposite and b of the broken line Wire is also trained through the registering loops of clamps CC and the terminal of the wire end I) is twisted about the headed stud 19v projecting from one side of the plate 5 at that end of the plate 5 remote from the notch 6.

Manifestly, by rotating the shaft '2 in a suitable direction, the end portion a of the line wire will be wrapped around the stubpost 13 and in this manner the line wire will be drawn taut as is apparent.

F rom a study of Figure I, it will beseen that those portions ofthe ends a and b of the line wire extending between the clamps C are in spaced parallel relation and for seouring the ends a and b togethenthe parallel portions of the ends (1 and b are twisted together in the following manner Anysuitable tool such as that designated generally by the reference character T as shown in Figure 6 maybe utilized for this purpose, the shank QOs of which tool beingplaced between the wires. and obviously by rotating the tool T, the ends a and biwil l be suitably twisted one with the other and in this manher the ends a and: b suitably secured togethen. r

The ends of thewire having been so connected', to remove thetool, the terminals of the ends a and binary he unwrapped from about the studs 14 1% respectively and the rings; or washers: mowed out of engagement with the pivoted jaws of the clamp members to permit spreading of: the jaws and subsequent. removal? of the tool-t Manifestly, when the end a of the wire has been1 suitably wound upon thesub-shaft 13 for drawing the wire Line tight or suflicientilytaut, the shaft 7 during; the twisting of the ends of the wire togetherwil'l beheld against rotation in opposite direction through the medium of the pivoted dog 10 having its free end: engaging the teeth of the ratchet wheel. 9 as is apparent.

It isthought that; from the; foregoing description, taken inconnection with the, accompanying drawings, a clearunderstanding of. the operation, construction, utility and advantages of; a wire splicer of this character-will be had by those skilled in the art without a more detailed description. Ewen: though I have herein shown and de scribedthepreferred' embodiment of my invention, it is to be understood that the same is susceptible to certain changes comprehended by the spirit of the invention as herein described, and the scopeof the; appended claims.

Having thusdescribed. my invention, what I claim as new is:

1. In a wire splicer of the class described, a body member, a shaft rotatably mounted on said body member adjacent one end thereof, said shaft being provided on one end thereof with an operating handle, and the other end of said shaft extending laterally from said body member, means 011 the extended end of said shaft for securing one end of a line wire thereto, means for retain ing said shaftagainst rotation in one direction, said body member having a headed stud projecting from one side thereof to which is adapted to be secured a second end of the line wire, said stud being mounted on said body member at the opposite end of said body member whereby the ends of the line wire may be retained in overlapping relation so that a tool inserted between the overlapping ends of the line wire may be rotated for twisting said ends together.

2. In, a wire splicer of the class described, an elongated rectangular body member, having an elongated notch extending inwardly from one end thereof, a shaft extending through said one end of said body member transversely thereof, said. shaftbeing' rotatable, a ratchet wheel fixed to the intermediate portion of said shaft for rotation therewith Vwithin said notch, a dog pivotally mounted on one side of said body member and engaging the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means for securing one end ofra broken line wire to one end of said shaft for winding said one end of said wire about said shaft, said shaft at its opposite end being provided with an operating handle, loop members-on said body member at one longitudinal edge of said body member and through which members are trained the ends of the broken line, wire, means for securing the terminal of the other end of the line wire to saidbody member at that end thereofremote from said shaft, whereby the portions of the broken line wire extending through said loop members maybe readily twisted together..

3. In a wire splicer of the class described, an elongated rectangular body portion, having an elongated notch extending inwardly from one 'end thereof, a shaft extending through said one end of said body portion transversely thereof, said shaft beingrotatable;,,a ratchet wheel fixed to; the intermediate portion of said shaft for rotation therewith within said notch, a dog pivotally mounted on; one slde of said body portion and engaging the teeth of said ratchet wheel, means for-securing one end of a broken l1ne wire toone 'endofsaid shaft for winding said one end of said wire about said shaft, said shaft at its opposite end being provided with an operatto said body portion at that end thereof re shaft within said aperture, a dog pivotally mounted on the plate and engagingthe ratchet wheel to retain the shaft against retrograde movement, a wire anchor member on the plate remote from the shaft, and alined expansible 1 0p members projecting laterally from said plate.

5. A device of the character described comj prising a plate-like body provided at one end with fixed means for securing one end of a wire thereto, a shaft rotatably mounted on the plate and adapted to have a second end of a wire wound thereon, and alined loop memthe shank,a ring slidable on the shank and engageable with the pivoted j aw and operable to normally retain the jaws in co-operative clamping relation, and a spring member yieldably urging said ring in effective enagementwith the pivoted jaw.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

.VABDAMAN G. WILKINS.

bers adjacent one edge of the plate through which the referredto ends of the wire extend r in substantial parallelism. I 3

6. A device of the character described comprising in combination, a body member provided with relatively spaced wire anchor means, and clamps mounted on the body member, each of said clamps comprising a pair of co-acting jaws adapted to receive therebetween portions of the wire ends anchored to said body.

7. A device of the character described comprising in combination a body member provided with relatively spaced wireanchoring means so relatively arranged, as to cause anchored wire ends to extend in substantial parallelism, a loop device and said loop device comprising a fixed jaw, a pivotally mounted jaw co-operable with the fixed jaw,

and yieldable means acting on the pivoted jaw for retaining said jaws in clamping relation relative to one another.

8. A device for coupling adjacent ends of a wire together, comprising in combination means engageable with the wire ends for ret aining the same in substantial spaced parallelism, and a relatively fixed loop device through which said parallel ends of the wire extend, said loop device comprisinga pair of co-operating jaws and a spring device normally retalning sald aws in clamping relation with respect to one another.

9. A device for splicing the ends of a line wire comprising in combination means for securing the spliced ends of the wire in relatively spaced parallelism, and a loop member receiving the parallel portions of the wire, a

j aw fixed on the shank, a second jaw co-operable with the first named jaw and pivoted to 

